Farrowing house



June' 29 1926. 1,590,982

E. B. MORRIS FARROWING HOUSE Filed March 15 I 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 June29,1926. 1,590,982

E. B. MORRIS FARROWING HOUSE Filed March 15, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2Marr/S,

Patented June 29, 1926.

UNITED STATES EVAN B. MORRIS, OF CEDAR BLUFB'S, NEBRASKA.

' FARROWING HOUSE.

Application filed mm. 15, 1924. semi m. ($90,552.

My invention relates to farrowing houses or similar animal sheltersprovided with means for furnishing artificial heat to the young. It isthe object of my invention to provide a simple and economical structureof this kind, adapted to acconunodate a plurality of sows and theirlitters, each being kept separate, and the several litters having accessto separate warmed spaces or compartments, from which the sows areexcluded, so that the young pigs are protected from injur by the sows. Afurther object of my invention is to provide means by which a singleheating device may serve to provide heat for a plurality of separatepens or compartn'ients communicating with the several main pens in whichtherespective sows and litters are confined. A further object-of myinvention is to provide in a structure of this class means by which anattendant may feed and inspect all of the animals and take care of theheating means,- without disturbing the animals. A further object of myinvention is to provide a struc ture especially adapted for the purposesmentioned, which may be readily transported for short distances in itserected form, and which may be taken apart or dis-assembled for storageor transportation for considerable distances, the principal componentparts of the structure being flat panels or members which may be piledtogether, and which may be easily and securely connected with each otherwhen erecting the structure for use.

A farrowing house .embodying my invention is illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a horlzontal section of thehouse, Fig. 2 is a perspective view thereof, Fig. 3 is a verticalsection, and Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of the central hoverand attendants platform which constitute the cover of the heatedcompartments.

In carrying out my invention I prefer ably provide a hexagonal buildingstructure which is made in separable sections or panels, there being sixside-wall sections 1 of rectangular form, a corresponding number oftriangular roof-sections 17 and the hexv agonal floor-section 18. Eachof the sidewall sections 1 has a window 8 and a small hinged door 9, thelatter being for access of the animals to the several pens formed withinthe structure. One of the side-wall sections has also a door 7 for useby the attendant. The vertical frame-members or studs at the edges ofthe sections 1 are secured the building for short distances withouttaking the sections thereof apart.

Within the described building I provide a plurality of removablepartitions 2 which extend in from the side-walls toward the center, toform aseries of substantially triangular pens of which the outer endsare formed by the respective side-walls. ()ne special partition 16 isprovided as represented in Fig. 1, said partition and the adjacentregular partition 2 forming between them an alley or passage extendingin from the door 7 to the attendants platform or walk around the heater.The partitions 2 at their inner ends are detachably connected withvertical posts 12 which are set uniform- 1y about the center of thebuilding, said posts extending from the floor to the roof and beingdetachably connected therewith. Adjacent to the floor, partition-members11 are extended in from the posts 12 t0 the center of the floor, saidmembers being in effect low extensions of the main partitions 2, and thespaces between them forming continuations of the main portions of therespective pens. At the center said members 11 constitute a support forthe heater, which may be a small oil-burning stove. The outer portionsof the members 11 support the walk or hexagonal platform 3 which isdisposed immediately within the circle of posts 12. The opening throughthe central part of the platform is covered by the hover. 4 whichincloses the stove and serves to reflect the heat therefrom down intothe apical portions of the pens between the partition members 11. Thehover has a central opening 6, and the stack or smoke-pipe 20 from thestove may be extended through the same and on upward through theventilator 10, as shown in Fig. 3. Cross partitions 5 are extendedbetween the posts 12 above the level of the Walk or platform 3, saidpartitions forming the inner ends of the main pens, to which the sowsare confined. The low pen-extensions formed beneath the platform 3 andhover, and separated by the members 11, are uniformly warmed by theheating means, and are freely accessible to the young pigs, while saidpartition members, a platform support-' the adult animalsare excludedtherefrom and thus prevented from injuring the young.

At the side adjoining the entrance alley from the door 7 thecross-partition 5 is made shorter than the others, to allow free accessto the walk or platform 3, from which the attendant may inspect and feedthe animals in each pen, without disturbing them b passing through thepens, and may also ta e care of the stove or eater.

It will be seen that the described structure provides a plurality ofseparate pens, each suitable for one sow and her litter, and each penhaving an artificially heated portion to which the youngpigs may freelyenter and from which the sow isexcluded because of the small heightthereof. The use of. a single stove or heating device for all of thepens enables economical use of fuel, while supplying all of the heatrequired for the several litters of pigs. By the removal of the mampartitions 2, all of the pens may be combined to form a colony-house,which may be heated, if desired, by leaving in place the structureswithin the circle of posts 12. When heating is notnecded, the posts andother central structures may also be removed, to provide additionalfloor-space for the colony-house.

Now, having described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent is:

1. In a farrowing house, a plurality of low partition members extendingradially from a common center, heating means including a hover supportedupon the central portions of ed upon the outer portions of said members,and means forming a plurality of pens communicating respectively withthe spaces be tween the low-partition members beneath the platform andhover.

2. In a farrowing house, means forming a plurality of pens having sideportions which extend radially of a common center, low extensions ofsaid pen side portions continuing therefrom respectively to said center,whereby to divide the space about said center into a plurality ofcompartments each communicating with one of the pens, and a heatingmeans arranged symmetrically to the several compartments.

3. In a farrowing house, the combination with a building structurehaving a roof, floor, and side-walls; of a plurality of vertical postsspaced about a central point in said building structure, partitionsextending from said posts to the side-walls to form a plurality of mainpens, cross partitions extended between the adjacent posts to form theinner ends of said main pens, a heating means arranged within thepolygonal space defined by said cross-partitions, and low parspaceadjacent the floor mto a plum lty of compartments adapted to be warmedby the heating means, the cross artitions'terminating above the floorwhereby to form bpenings of restricted height connecting the main pensand the respective heated compartments.

4. In a farrowing house, a polygonal building structure, artitionsextending in radially from the si e-walls thereof to form a plurality ofsubstantially triangular pens centrally disposed heating means arrangeto warm the adjacent apical portions of the several pens, and means forexcluding large animals from said apical pen-portions while allowingaccess of small animals thereto.

5. I11 a farrowing house, the combination with a building structurehaving a roof, floor, and side-walls; of a lurality of partitionsextending in from t 1e side-wall toward a common center whereby todivide the floor-space into a plurality of substantially trian'ularpens, doors in the side walls affording access to each of saidpens, means for excluding large animals from the adjacent apicalportions of the pens, said means permitting access of small animals tosaid portions of the pens, and a heater for warming said portions of thepens.

6. In a farrowing house, the combination with an inclosure having aroof, floor, and side-Walls; of a plurality of main partitions extendingfrom the side-walls toward a center and dividing the floorspace into aplurality of pens each hav- 1ng a portion adjacent to said center, aheater arranged at saidcenter and adapted to warm the adjacentportionsof the pens, a walk supported upon the partitions about the heater, andcross partitions extending between the main partitions upwardly fromsaid walk, said cross partitions and walk be1ng arranged at a heightfrom the floor suitable for excluding large animals from the warmedportions of the pens while permitting smaller animals to pass beneathsaid walk and partitions into the warmed penportlons.

7. In a structure of the class described, a polygonal building, aplurality of radially extending partitions removably disposed thereinfor dividing the same into substantially triangular pens, and means forex- 'cluding from the central apical portions of the pens animals of asize larger than a determined minimum, said means covering the centralspace common to the apical portions of the several pens and therebyserving'to retain in said common space the body-heat from the smalleranimals of all of the pens.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

